Heritage (Opeth album)
Heritage is the tenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on September 14, 2011 through Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson, and mixed by Steven Wilson. A critical and commercial success, the album sold 19,000 units in the United States in its debut week, charting at number 19 on the Billboard 200. The album signals a departure from the musical style of Opeth's past albums, being one of only two albums by the band not to feature Åkerfeldt's signature death growls (the other being Damnation).Inferno. http://www.inferno.fi/blogi-opeth-heritage-ilm-20-9-4914/ Background During a press junket in September 2010 for In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Mikael Åkerfeldt told Classic Rock Magazine that he was finally writing for a new Opeth album. On January 31, 2011, Opeth entered Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm to begin recording, with Janne Hansson engineering and Steven Wilson mixing. By late March, mixing was complete, and in April, Per Wiberg was relieved of his duties in Opeth as part of a mutual decision with the band.Blabbermouth. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Opeth-Part-Ways-With--Keyboardist-Per-Wiberg-22880.aspx. Published 04/07/11. Retrieved 07/29/11. On 25 May, Heritage was announced as the album's title.Official Opeth Website. http://opeth.com/index.php/news/show/id/212. Published 05/25/11. Retrieved 06/05/11. On July 26, the band premiered the album's first single, "The Devil's Orchard", on Stereogum.Opeth – “The Devil’s Orchard” (Stereogum Premiere) stereogum.com. 2011-07-26. Retrieved on 2011-07-26. On September 11, the album was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music.Gotrich, Lars. First Listen: Opeth, 'Heritage'. NPR. September 11, 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011. On 23 September, the music video for "The Devil's Orchard" was released.VIDEO: Opeth Premiere New Music Video. Sonic State. http://www.sonicstate.com/amped/2011/09/23/video-opeth-premiere-new-music-video/. Published 09/23/11. Retrieved 08/03/11. Artwork The cover art for Heritage was revealed at the beginning of June 2011, done once again by longtime collaborator Travis Smith.Blabbermouth. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=158890. Published 06/01/11. Retrieved 06/05/11. As confirmed by Åkerfeldt in a video interview with Face Culture, it is rife with symbolism.Face Culture Interview. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6z5kFvhymU&feature=relmfu The tree represents the band flourishing in the present while its roots "going down to hell" represent the band's death metal history. The faces on the tree are those of the current band members, with Wiberg's head falling off the tree representing his departure. The skulls underneath the tree also represent past band members. The burning theatre in the distance represents the decline of civilization. Musical style Åkerfeldt has been candid about the decision prompting the band to embrace progressive rock more openly and depart from the sound that Opeth has been pursuing for much of its preceding career: I was a bit discouraged with the contemporary metal scene, and I wanted to break away from it even more. I feel we've been on the outskirts of that scene for a a couple of years. I just couldn't see myself writing another album in the same vein as the last couple of records. Thankfully I listen to so many different kinds of music, and writing music has never been a problem. I've always seen Opeth as a band without boundaries. So if it's good and everybody in the band likes it, it's an Opeth record. In the end I sat down and wrote the music that I wanted to hear right now. In the press release for Heritage, Mikael Åkerfeldt revealed that he felt as though he had been building to write the album since he was 19 years old. In a review for Allmusic, Thom Jurek called Heritage the band's most adventurous album, describing the songs as "drenched in instrumental interludes, knotty key and chord changes, shifting time signatures, clean vocals, and a keyboard-heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons, Rhodes pianos, and Hammond organs".Jurek, Thom. Allmusic review Allmusic.com 2011-09-16. Retrieved on 2011-09-16. Originally, the first two songs Åkerfeldt wrote for Heritage were in the style of Watershed. After hearing the songs for the first time, Martin Mendez told Åkerfeldt that he would be disappointed if the album continued in that direction.Face Culture. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v2pMSu7EUI&NR=1. Published 07/15/11. Retrieved on 07/21/11. Relieved that Mendez was not interested in doing another conventional Opeth album, Åkerfeldt scrapped the two songs and started the writing process over. After composing what would become "The Lines in My Hand", he decided to write the new album in a brand new style. Influenced by Chris Dangerous of The Hives, Åkerfeldt incorporated a "ride groove drum beat" from an unknown song by the aforementioned influence into the aforementioned Opeth song.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3L-lcW4-TM Heritage is influenced by a multitude of artists, including Alice Cooper and Magma. The album's title track is influenced by Swedish pianist Jan Johansson and Swedish folk music.Face Culture. YouTube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ht1seTCcDQ. 2011-07-15. Retrieved on 2011-07-21. "Slither" is a tribute to Ronnie James Dio, who died during the album's writing process. Supporting tour Opeth kicked off their tour in support of Heritage in September 2011, headlining in North America with Katatonia.Opeth Announce US Tour Dates! Roadrunner. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Opeth-Announce-US-Tour-Dates-23044.aspx. Published 06/06/11. Retrieved 10/13/11. In November, the band toured Europe with Pain of Salvation.Opeth - European Tour Dates with Pain of Salvation. Metal Storm. http://www.metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=14053. Published 07/13/11. Retrieved 10/13/11. In April 2012, the band returned to North America and co-headlined the "Heritage Hunter Tour" with Mastodon, supported by Ghost. Opeth and Mastodon each headlined at specific venues. Track listing All songs written and composed by Mikael Åkerfeldt, except where noted. Personnel Credits taken from Allmusic: Opeth *Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitar, Mellotron, grand piano, vocals, sound effects, mixing, engineering, production *Fredrik Åkesson – guitar *Per Wiberg – grand piano, Mellotron, Rhodes piano, Hammond B3 *Martín Mendez – bass guitar, upright bass *Martin Axenrot – drums, percussion Additional musicians *Alex Acuña – percussion (on "Famine") *Björn J:son Lindh – flute (on "Famine") *Joakim Svalberg – grand piano (on "Heritage") *Charlie Dodd – sound effects Production *Steven Wilson – mixing, effects engineering, vocal engineering *Peter Mew – mastering *Janne Hansson – engineering Additional personnel *Jasper Schuurmans – project coordinator *Sandra Artigas – photography *Travis Smith – art direction *Monte Conner – A&R Chart positions Release history Heritage was released by Roadrunner Records. The album was released on CD, as a standard edition release, special edition release, and a limited picture disc release. The special edition contains a DVD and a coin. The picture disc was limited to 500 copies, and was released on 28 November 2011. References Category:2011 albums